1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to archery bows designed for the projection of arrows or like missles and providing special characteristics such as greater projecting force near the end of bowstring travel. More importantly the invention provides a bow having a pre-drawn, self-holding cock capability for the retention of potential energy and its conveniently manageable release.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Many bow designs have been made to effect improvement in cast and in convenience, to produce a bow that projects an arrow or like missle with greater power and which may be efficiently handled.
The comparatively recent advent of the compound bow with its complex stringing over an eccentric wheel and pulley system has demonstrated the advantages of a reduced holding requirement at full draw and increased final thrust in facilitating greater accuracy and penetrating power. U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,495 to H. W. Allen illustrates this type of prior art bow.
The ancient, but still highly valued, crossbow is recognized for its capability of extending the power of the bow by permitting the storage and nearly effortless release of force far greater than the strongest arm could generate in a simple hand held and drawn bow. These prior art systems are relatively elaborate mechanisms and as such are more expensive to manufacture than the more common bow designs of comparable quality. They are also heavier and subject to various problems of maintenance generally associated with devices having an appreciable multiplicity of moving and interacting parts.
Bows having longitudinally slotted recurved limbs have been introduced that apply the principle of a free string bracing to the problem of improving cast in a simple manner, but not to the problem of energy storage. A bow of this type is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 2,957,470 to A. J. Barna.
No known prior system, either alone or in any appropriate combination, is believed to anticipate or teach the herein disclosed invention, nor do prior systems function in the manner herein disclosed to solve the heretofore problems of such prior systems.